For example, the patent specification CH-695454, the published application WO 96/06028, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,000 and the utility model FR 8518622 disclose feet for a container and various solutions for attaching feet to the containers which are known per se. One common property of all of these techniques is that the solutions are extremely complicated containing many moving parts. These known solutions raise the price and make the structures unsafe.
The Finnish patent application 20040846 “Method for loading sea containers and container foot applicable for the purpose” discloses the prior art. The publication al-so discloses how and where detachable container feet are required.
For example, so-called SWAP containers used in sea transporters have fixed feet which are rotatable under the container. A similar type of solution is also in so-called foot pallet containers which have fixed feet and which are intended for road transports. However, these impose extra weight and need their own space both in land and sea transports, and this is a major disadvantage particularly in sea transport. The containers which are equipped with fixed feet are also more expensive than containers without feet. The present solutions are on the whole, as mentioned earlier, complicated by their technical solutions.
The detachable container feet are intended for lifting the sea container into and away from the carriage without needing an expensive crane and without, however, equipping the container with fixed feet. The container equipped with the detachable and attachable container feet can be left with the customer for loading and unloading, even for several days, and the carriage can be utilized for some other use at that time. The present container is the type that adheres to a global common standard. It has become common also outside sea traffic such that many containers never are transported by sea but they are only used in road transports and for storing goods. In other words, the container according to the “standard” can be transported just as well on land in motor vehicles as well as on the sea in ship transports without the extra weight and need for space due to the feet or the cranes, and each transport operator, truck etc. and goods station has its own inexpensive, light and safe detachable container feet which fit all containers because they are a standard type.